After the Dawn
by KassieMarie
Summary: After the Light was returned by Noct, the three friends made their way out of Insomnia, ready to take on the task of rebuilding. Miles away in Hammerhead, Annalynne watched in awe as the sun rose for the first time in ten years. Her thoughts went to the four men she met last night and prayed that she would get to meet them again. (Eventual Prompto/OC. Cross-Posted on AO3.)
1. Chapter 1: The Royal Return

**So I have been in quite the feels state for the past few weeks thanks to Final Fantasy XV and of course I had to get it out somehow. And then this idea popped into my head and will not leave!**

 **I love Prompto dearly and just want him to be happy! *insert crying face emoji here***

 **Spoilers for the end of the game follows! (Just feel like I need to throw that out there just in case. And I'll be going with the ending from the main game!) This story is told mainly through the OC's pov, though every once in a while I'll switch pov's as the narrative calls for it. Changes in pov will be marked with the character's name in _bold italics_.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy! (*This story is being cross-posted on here and on my AO3 account, crazydcchick*)**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Royal Return**

 _ **Prompto**_

I could not believe my eyes. Noct was standing right in front of me for the first time in ten years. Gladio, Iggy, and myself met with Noct as he exited Talcott's truck. I was buzzing with excitement, seeing my best friend standing before me after so long. Soon Noct was walking towards the diner, as just like old times we followed behind him.

As I entered the diner last, I heard the loud thud of a camper's door. I looked over my shoulder to see Cindy talking with Talcott as a woman with fiery red hair pulled up into a high ponytail walks towards them. Something about her hair reminds me of a hunter that I've heard of briefly before back in Lestallum.

"Prompto!"

I turned towards my friends and continued into the diner, shaking my head of the idea that the greatest gunslinger hunter since the darkness was here. Besides, her legend sparked quite a few women to dye their hair in Lestallum to match.

After a few moments in the diner, we headed back out to Talcott, Cindy, and the redhead. They were discussing Noct and his royal status. After a moment, Noct spoke up. His voice caught the attention of the mystery girl as she turned towards us, her fiery hair softly swaying behind her. Her eyes grew wide as she realized that we were behind her. I could see the color of her eyes as clear as day as they grew in size. Her eyes were as silver as parts of my beloved Lokton LX-30 and I felt as if I could see my reflection in them just like the glass on my lens.

Cindy spoke to Noct, which looked like it brought her out of the awe that ever so slightly showed in her eyes. Was she a Noct fangirl? Most likely considering how she was looking at Noct. Cindy wrapped an arm around the silver-eyed beauty and joyously introduced the woman.

"This right here is the infamous Annalynne Ghiranze, one of the best hunters I've ever met."

My eyes grew wide. No way. I was right. It was her…

I almost felt starstruck seeing the one and only person who was rumored to outshoot even myself. I've been wanting to meet this woman for years but never ran into her. Until now.

"Wait a second… THE Annalynne. The hunter everyone calls 'The Lone Ranger'?" I spoke up. Her silver eyes met mine and the shock that I knew exactly who she was was evident in her eyes. A dull dusting of red appeared on her cheeks as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah. The one and only," she replied.

I finally get to meet this woman that has sparked inspiration into many of the current hunters and my rumored competition for the best gunslinger hunter. And it just had to be the day Noct comes back and we have to make our way towards the crown city.

Just.

My.

Luck.

"Ghiranze. Are you perhaps related to the journalist Dino Ghiranze?" Iggy asked her.

"Yeah. He was my uncle."

"What happened to him?" Gladdio asked. Annalynne turned her gaze towards the darkness, her eyes becoming slightly cold. "I'm not sure," she replied. "Once the darkness hit, I never heard from him. I just assumed that he was killed by a daemon early on."

Her hair swayed behind her as she shook her head. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you all."

Ignis and Gladio formally introduced themselves to her. I simply extended my hand towards her and smiled. "Prompto Argentum, at your service!"

Her lips tugged into a small smile as she returned the handshake. After a few more moments talking with the three of them, Noct declared it was time to head towards Insomnia. I silently prayed to the Six as we waved goodbye that if I make it through tonight, I would be able to meet this woman again soon. I'm dying to see her shooting skills in action.

As we made camp that night, Noct and Gladio decided to have a little fun, just like old times. They fired round after round of teasing words towards my actions back in Hammerhead and meeting Annalynne.

"Back off guys!" I exclaimed, feeling my cheeks start to warm up a little. "I'm just a fan of her work is all. Besides, my heart will forever belong to our Goddess of the Gears!"

The two of them just snickered, laughing silently at my umteenth proclamation of love towards Cindy. Though over the years that feeling I felt towards Cindy slowly started to fade once it dawned on me that Cindy is dedicated to her job and would never look twice at me. I accepted that and decided to just be friends with the bubbly mechanic. But I would never let those two know that happened.

As Gladio was about to set off on a round two, Ignis grabbed their attention with dinner and the conversation was left at that. I sat outside the tent, looking up at the stars and my thoughts shifted towards the impending battle that would put Noct on the path to bring back the light and destroy this never ending darkness. I looked out into the darkness that seemed to go on and on, forever. I silently hummed to myself for some time before deciding to sleep.

* * *

 _ **Annalynne**_

A bright light passes past my window, causing me to stir a little. My thoughts were fuzzy as I tried to fall back to sleep. I was almost successful in falling back asleep until I heard a car door shut and a very deep voice made my eyes snap open.

'Who the heck is that?' I thought as I slowly sat up, rubbing at my eyes as I looked out of the camper's window to see a group of guys dressed in black. The blond was buzzing around the group, excited about something. It took me a few minutes to recognize that the group was the infamous Crownsguard that Dave spoke of quite often.

Why were they here in Hammerhead?

Together?

In the past ten years, it was rare to see the three together. But there was a fourth member with them…

It dawned on me then. The prince has returned. I watched the four walk into diner before I threw on a jacket over my tank top and headed outside to Cindy. She was standing next to Talcott. I waved at them as they looked behind me at the diner.

"Is that them?" I asked Cindy. "The Crownsguard?"

Cindy smiled at me. "And the returned prince. Or should I say king?" Cindy looked at Talcott who shrugged.

"I think king," he replied after a moment. "Though 'Your Majesty' would work."

We continued to discuss the matter until a voice I didn't recognize spoke up. "Noct is just fine."

I turned towards the source of the voice to find the prince, or king I should say, standing right in front of us along with his guard. I was speechless. I never thought I would ever get to meet THE Noctis Lucis Caelum.

Ever.

And yet, there he was. I bet the 15-year-old me would be ecstatic to know that she would one day be standing right in front of the royal boy. Now, the 26-year-old me is just in awe. The man who could bring our world out of this eternal darkness is back after ten years and he is standing right in front of me.

"Hey there, Noct!" Cindy's thick accent pierced through my mental musings and grounded me back into the moment. "Been a while."

Noctis smiled as he nodded. "Yeah, it has."

Cindy wraps an arm around me and joyfully introduces me. "This right here is the infamous Annalynne Ghiranze, one of the best hunters I've ever met."

I waved shyly at the four men in front of me. "Hello."

"Wait a second… THE Annalynne. The hunter everyone calls 'The Lone Ranger'?" The blond spoke up. I looked at him and saw his bright blue eyes sparkle as he looked at me.

I scratch at the back of my neck nervously. "Yeah. The one and only." I wasn't expecting one of the Crownsguard to know of my reputation. Especially THAT nickname. I never hunt with others, not wanting to grow attached to someone that I could end up seeing die right in front of me or turn into a daemon. I'd rather just have someone find me or my dog tag after the light returns rather than have someone watch me die. No one from my family is alive anyway, so even if I died there'd be no one to mourn me besides the few friends I've made.

The slender man with darkened glasses turned his head to the side. "Ghiranze. Are you perhaps related to the journalist Dino Ghiranze?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He was my uncle."

"What happened to him?" The more muscular of the group asked. I looked off to my right, off into the darkness that just seems to go on and on.

"I'm not sure. Once the darkness hit, I never heard from him. I just assumed that he was killed by a daemon early on." Thinking about what happened to my uncle didn't phase me too much. I never really talked too much to him anyway. I just hope he wasn't in pain when he died.

I shook my head, clearing my head and turned my attention back to Noctis and his friends. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you all."

The slender man fixed his glasses as he introduced himself. "As well as to meet you, Miss Ghiranze. I am Ignis Scientia."

The muscular man just nodded his head up. "Gladiolus Amicitia."

The blond extended his hand towards me with a smile. "Prompto Argentum, at your service!"

I shook his hand, a small smile tugging at my lips. I knew of each of them and their reputations both before and after the darkness fell. After a few moments, the four left Hammerhead on their way to Insomnia. A nervous knot ran through my stomach. I knew that this would be the last hours of darkness we would experience like this, but at what cost?

I nodded to Cindy and headed back to my camper to get a few more hours of sleep in anticipation of the coming dawn.

* * *

 **And we all know what happens next! I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to introducing Annalynne's personality and her skills with hunting. Even though the daemons are gone, doesn't mean the other monsters that roam around during the day are gone. Hunters will still be needed to take care of these monsters, but not as much at first.**

 **The rebuilding of the world begins next chapter! Stay tuned.**


	2. Chapter 2: The First Morning

**Chapter 2: The First Morning**

I awoke with a start hearing someone bang on the door to my camper. I grumbled as I got out of bed and threw the door open, rubbing at my eyes.

"What."

I look at who was banging on my door and saw that it was Talcott. He had a giant smile on his face. "Look!" I follow his finger to the horizon. It's not pitch black. The sun was starting to rise. I ran out of my camper and headed to the garage as fast as possible.

"CINDY! THEY DID IT!" I yelled as I got closer to the garage. Her head peaked around the door and her eyes slowly saw the darkness lifting to the rising sun. The mechanic stepped out of the garage and joined me, Talcott, and a few other hunters who stayed the night at the edge of the street as we looked at the horizon.

The sun was creating colors I haven't seen in what felt like forever. I could feel tears start to prick at the edges of my eyes. I quickly wiped at my eyes to rid the moisture from them.

"It's beautiful," I heard Talcott say gently under his breath.

"Yeah, it is," I said just as quietly. It was the dawn of a new day. Literally. My thoughts went to the king and his guard. I prayed they were safe. All of them.

A few moments passed in silence before Cindy's phone started ringing. She went unaware that it was her phone going off until I elbowed her.

"Cindy. Your phone."

"Ah!" She pulled out the device and answered. "Hello?"

I looked at her through my peripherals, trying to savor this first sunrise in a decade. I could only hear her side of the conversation, but after a few words I had a feeling I knew who it was.

"Oh..." she told the voice on the other end. "Do y'all need a lift back? … Understood. I'll send Talcott with the truck to get y'all."

Cindy hung up after that and tore her eyes away from the beautiful colors the dawn was creating to Talcott and myself.

"Talcott, Anna, that was Prompto on the phone. He said that Gladio, Ignis, and himself all made it through practically unharmed."

I looked at Cindy, gut slowly twisting into knots. "And Noct?" Talcott asks.

Cindy shook her head. "He gave his life to save his people. Like a true king."

Talcott hung his head hearing the news about Noctis. I placed my arm around Talcott as a sad smile pulled at my lips. I looked at Cindy and she shared the same look I had. We both had a feeling two nights ago that we may not see Noctis again, knowing that his role in bringing the light back to his country would cost him. I looked back out to the horizon and a single tear rolled down my cheek.

"Thank you, my king."

* * *

I stood next to Talcott's truck, leaning against my motorcycle. He was about to head off to pick up the three friends at a campsite nearby. He was currently trying to convince me to go with him.

"Come on, Anna! You know you wanna see them again."

I shook my head at Talcott, chuckling to myself. "I gotta get back to Lestallum and check in with Dave. Now that the sun is back and daemons are gone, the future of hunters is quite possibly up in the air."

"It can wait a day, right? Plus the three of them have worked as hunters in the past. I'm sure they'll also be curious."

"Doubt it. They are heroes to the country now. Besides, I should pass the news along to Dave about Noctis. He had quite the fondness for the king."

Talcott hung his head, sighing in defeat. "Fine." He looked back up at me and I couldn't help but smile at him. "Let me know when you make it safely."

I patted his shoulder. "I will."

I threw on my black helmet and I mounted my bike. Turning on the engine and giving it a couple reves, I looked at Talcott and yelled over the engine. "Tell those boys I said hi and that I'll see them if they make it towards Lestallum!"

And with that, I turned and rode in the opposite direction of Talcott, heading back to the place I started calling home after the fall of Insomnia.

* * *

 _Growing up in the Crown City was... interesting. Every day, I walked through the same school halls that the prince did only a few years prior. I overheard older classmen talk about their short run-ins with the prince, calling him reserved or even rude sometimes. I just rolled my eyes at them. I never had the opportunity to meet the prince myself, but I always believed that those rumors about him were false. I couldn't explain it at the time, but I just had a feeling that if I ever had the chance to meet him that we would get along like old friends. From that feeling alone, I knew that the prince couldn't be rude like those upperclassmen claimed._

 _I was 16 when Insomnia fell. Luckily I managed to escape the city with some classmates, but in the days that followed I learned that my parents perished. Our house was within roughly 20 km due north of the capitol building when King Regis was killed and the Empire invaded. The only family I had left now was my uncle Dino. After Insomnia's fall, he took me in for a while but I rarely saw him. When I did, he talked quite a bit about the group of boys that helped him collect rare gems so he could make jewelry. Only once did he hint that the group helping him was from the Crown City, but he never gave away their identities._

 _The day darkness fell was the day I decided to stop sitting around and do something with my life. Uncle Dino ran out of the house that day, in a rush to get somewhere. I offered to help but his words sparked something in me._

" _It's too dangerous for a kid like you."_

 _As he left Lestallum, I made my way around town until I ran into Dave. He saw something in me, a hunger to help, and decided to train me in the ways of the hunter. Uncle Dino never contacted me after that first day. I just hoped he was alright, though as time passed I knew he was gone._

 _Once I mastered the art of shooting, I decided to go off on my own. At 17 years old I became an official hunter. By 19, the first nickname, The Silver Bullet, was bestowed upon me. By 21, people in Lestallum we calling me The Red Barrel. My hair color was the topic of much debate, whether or not it was natural (it is). Eventually, the color became a trend for women. It was a symbol for them to join in on the fight, though no one knew what the real color looked like. I refused any type of photographs when I was asked for interviews. I honestly could care less about my face being in the public._

 _It only took a few months for The Red Barrel nickname to dissolve. Rumors of my hunting alone caught on like wildfire and by 22 the third and final nickname was given to me._

 _The Lone Ranger._

 _After that, I started getting more and more requests for jobs other than hunting daemons, though I never took them. My only goal in life was to rid as many daemos as I could while we waited for the light to be restored._

 _Throughout those ten years, many hunters would compare my style of gunmanship to that of Prompto Argentum, one of the royal Crownsguard that served the prince. Some hunters even said I could outshoot the gunslinger. I had my doubts about that, but I was always intrigued whenever his name would come up._

 _One day, I told myself, one day I would meet him and I would put my skills up to the test against his. But until that day came, I would continue to grow the legend of The Lone Ranger and continue my lone crusade against the daemons that stood in my way._

* * *

 _ **Prompto**_

The three of us stood outside the capitol building when the daemons disappeared. We all were gasping for breath. I looked towards Ignis and Gladio, knowing right then that Noct was gone. We made our way into the Citadel building to discover that Noct's body was gone. The only thing that remained was the picture that he took from me just before he came here. I gently picked up the photo, looking at the four of us smiling. It slowly started to sink in that my best friend was gone, sacrificing everything to save his kingdom.

I felt Gladio's hand on my shoulder. "He did what he had to do."

I nodded. "Yeah. A true king until the end." I placed the photograph back on the arm of the throne before turning and walking back down the stairs. Once Gladio and I joined Ignis at the base, we all kneeled at the empty throne. Our service to the crown officially over, but our loyalty to Noct will never fade.

* * *

"Hey Cindy."

"Hey! You boys ok? How is everyone?"

"Ignis, Gladio and myself are doing alright. Exhausted from all the fighting, but still in one piece. But…" I felt my throat tighten up on me. Saying it outloud was going to be hard. "Noct is gone."

"Oh…" Cindy went quiet for a moment. "Do y'all need a lift back?"

I looked at my comrades as we walked. Exhaustion evident on their faces. "I think that would be a wise choice."

"Understood. I'll send Talcott with the truck to get y'all."

"Great. We'll meet him at the campsite between Insomnia and Hammerhead."

We hung up shortly after that. "Talcott will be meeting us at the campsite with the truck."

"I think we can make it until then," Ignis said, though sounding uncharacteristically tired.

The three of us walked in silence. Not much has been said over the past ten years between us. I suddenly got a nervous feeling in my stomach. Now that Noct was gone, would Gladio and Ignis still want to be friends?

Yes, we have been through life and death situations far too many times together. Yes, I know that even before Noct disappeared into the crystal ten years ago they considered me a friend. I know nothing has changed in those ten years between us, but the thought just gnawed at the back of my mind. Ten years later and I'm still so unsure about everything.

If Noct could hear what I was thinking, he would probably punch me for thinking such things again. I could feel a small smile tug at my lips. I looked over at them once again and willed those thoughts away. No matter what, I know that these two would do anything to help me and I would do the same for them.

* * *

The sun was slowly making its descent down as we made it to the campsite. Talcott was waiting for us when we arrived. After brief hellos, we decided to head to Hammerhead. Gladio and Ignis sat in the bed of the truck so they could try and sleep while I sat shotgun. Those unwelcome thoughts tried to surface again, so I decided to try and talk to get my mind off those insecurities that decided to stick around.

"So Talcott," I started, not knowing where I was going with this conversation at all, "what was the garage like when sun broke this morning?"

He shrugged. "Everyone seemed pretty excited. I didn't pay much attention, though. All of us pretty much had our eyes glued to the horizon." I nodded. My mind went to the fiery red hair from two nights ago. I wondered if she was still in Hammerhead.

"Is Annalynne still in Hammerhead?" I didn't even notice that I spoke what I was thinking until Talcott answered me.

"Nah. She left this morning when I was getting ready to leave. I tried convincing her to come, but she's fiercely dedicated to the Hunters Society and wanted to get to Lestallum to check on things there. And tell Dave."

I nodded once again as we settled into silence for the last few minutes. My mind wandered to Lestallum and all the people there. I'm sure by now Dave and Cor had already made plans to help people move back to cities where it would be safe for them now. And a few hunters most likely have gone off to check a few cities for monsters and any lingering daemons so residents could move back.

We decided to spend the night in Hammerhead. After a brief reunion with Cindy and a quiet dinner, Ignis decided to head to the camper first. Gladio and I sat outside the camper in silence before he sighed.

"What's buggin' ya, kid?"

I look at Gladio, almost insulted by the nickname he's always called me. I'm not a kid anymore. I'm 30! But I guess compared to Gladio, I'll always be a kid…

"Nothin'," I tell him. The look Gladio gave me could have killed Deadeye.

"Bullshit, Prompto. I know you better than that. Something's been bothering you since we left Insomnia and it's not just Noct being gone."

How did all three of these guys have this innate ability to see right through me? I looked over at Gladio before turning my attention to the stars. I sighed. "Now that Noct is gone, there's no real reason for you or Iggy to stick around me. I know that at the beginning you two probably didn't like the fact that I was joining you. After all, I didn't grow up training like you and I'm not smart or calculated like Ignis. Why continue to humor me now that the main reason you two put up with me is gone…"

Gladio placed a hand, rather roughly, on my shoulder and chuckled. "We humored you? Prompto, if anyone humored us it was you."

I tore my gaze away from the sky to look at Gladio, confused at his words.

"Look," he started as he removed his hand from where it rested moments ago. "At first, I didn't like you. When Noct first introduced you to Ignis and myself, I must admit I did think that we shouldn't waste our time on you. Especially when Noct wanted you to join his Guard. I didn't think a string bean like you could pull any weight in tough combat situations. But over time, you proved me wrong. You had the trust of not only the prince and his advisor, but you gained the king's trust. King Regis trusted you with his son. If he didn't you would never have been able to put on that Crownsguard uniform, let alone the Kingsglave uniform."

Gladio stood up and looked straight at me. "You may be annoying at times, but you are a valued member of this team. And, our friend."

And with that, Gladio left me to go inside the camper. He gave me a lot to think about but in the end I decided that no matter what my inner thoughts kept trying to convince me of, I will always be friends with my fellow Crownsguards. Even if our king was gone.

That night, I was able to sleep peacefully knowing that whatever happens in the years to come, Ignis and Gladio will be there. The road to rebuilding the kingdom and the continent will be long, but as the royal guards it is now our duty to continue protecting this kingdom that Noct cared for so deeply.

* * *

 **Wow… did not mean for this chapter to end up so long. Guess that's what happens when you add in backstory! Seeing Prompto have so much doubt about himself and his friendship with the other Chocobros in-game always kills me, so writing the little bit with his self-doubt here hurt. But it was a necessary evil to cross through!**

 **Noct is gone, time to send everyone back home and get out of Lestallum. The poor city needs to breathe.**

 **And, for anyone curious about why I chose the name "Annalynne" for our main heroine's name, it's because of the meaning. I love that each character's name has a meaning that helps with understanding their character a bit more. So, I decided to continue with name meanings and stumbled across Annalynne, which means Favor or Grace. For this story's purpose, her name goes with the Grace meaning. She's a fiery character, but is graceful in more than just her gunsmanship. I'm excited to start exploring that now these opening chapters are finished!**

 **Until the next upload! (^o^)v**


	3. Chapter 3: The Guards Return

**Chapter 3: The Guards Return**

"Please move in an orderly fashion! Everyone will be getting back to their cities soon!"

It's only been a day since the light returned and within a span of 24 hours, Dave and Cor were able to get hunters moved to cities and start clearing them out of any lurking monsters. Citizens of two nearby towns are already allowed to head back, though rebuilding their cities is going to take some time. Rebuilding everything is going to take time.

As soon as I arrived in Lestallum yesterday, I was put on "moving duty". Making sure no one tries to pull anything while there are so many people on the streets and maintaining a sense of peace to calm any nervous citizens. I don't mind helping everyone, but I just wish something exciting would happen! Give me something to do other than shout the same thing over and over again. Even I'm getting tired of my own voice.

Suddenly, I feel a light pull at the hem of my shirt. I look down and see a little girl, no older than six years old, looking at me. Her eyes are wide and they have a glimmer to them. I bend down to her eye level.

"Is everything ok?"

She nodded. "Thank you pretty hunter for keeping us safe!" The little girl gave me a small hug and I couldn't help but pat her on the head.

"Lilith!"

The little girl turned towards the woman who called out her name. "Mommy!" She waved at her mother, who came running towards us. Lilith's mother looked down at her and then at me. "I'm so sorry madam hunter, I hope my daughter isn't bothering you."

I shake my head at her. "Not at all. She was very sweet." I patted Lilith's head again before standing up. "Be safe on your journey home."

"We will!" Lilith exclaimed."I'm going to protect mommy if any bad monsters come out."

I chuckled at her. "Best leave that to the hunters who will be traveling with you. But in about twelve years, if there are still monsters to fight, I'm sure we would love to have someone like you join our ranks. That is, if your mom is ok with you becoming a hunter then." I look towards Lilith's mom and she smiles.

Lilith jumps excitedly between us, saying how excited she is to grow up. "I wanna be just like you lady hunter!"

"I look forward to possibly being your trainer one day then, little Lilith." I pat her on the head once more and the two continue moving with their group. Back towards their home.

"Recruiting a little young there, Anna?"

I turn and see Dave chuckle.

"Nah. I'm just happy to see the children happy." I look out over the crowd of people lining the sidewalks and I can't help but smile at the sight. Everyone is finally able to go home. After so many years, lives can finally start getting back to the way they were before darkness fell.

There were loud shouts that suddenly came from where the entrance into Lestallum was. I looked to Dave, who was equally confused. We rushed to the street and looked towards the gate and saw what was causing the commotion.

I saw Talcott's truck, him sitting in the driver's seat beaming. And in the bed of the truck were Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto waving to the people. They were dressed in a different style of clothing than the last time I saw them.

"Looks like the Kingsglaive is back," Dave mumbled.

Kingsglaive? I've heard of that group before. A long time ago before the Fall of Insomnia. "So that's a Kingsglaive uniform…" I softly spoke. Those uniforms were rather dashing on those three.

As the truck came closer to where Dave and I were standing, Prompto noticed me and waved. His smile was as bright as Cindy told me. Like sunshine. I couldn't help but smile and wave back at him. Before long, Gladio also saw me and waved as they passed by.

I felt Dave looking at me and heard him chuckle again. "Looks like they're glad to see you." I shrugged my shoulders at him. "It's probably them just excited to see a friendly face or two in a sea full of strangers."

Once the truck had passed us, a few hunters towards the front called for everyone's attention again to get them moving onto their transports. Back to work.

* * *

It was dusk when I got back to the hunter's HQ. I sat down outside the building on one of the iron chairs and sighed rather loudly. It was a rewarding feeling seeing so many people being able to go home, but it was exhausting. I was looking forward to getting home and taking a nice, long hot shower. I leaned back and closed my eyes for a moment to enjoy the feeling of the sunset on my face. I still can't believe that we get to experience this feeling again.

Soon, I heard the doors to HQ open and footsteps approach the cafe table I was sitting at. I cracked an eye open and saw Prompto standing next to the chair across from me.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked. I just nodded, enjoying not having to speak for a little bit. Prompto angled his chair to face the horizon and sat down. He pulled out his camera and started to pictures of the sunset. I looked back towards it and was in awe of the colors that painted the sky.

"I forgot how beautiful sunsets are," I breathed out. Prompto just hummed in response. We sat there in silence for a minute before I heard his camera click again. I saw him move in the corner of my eye and heard the camera once again. This time I noticed that the sound was closer than it was before.

Another click.

I looked towards Prompto. He was moving his camera down and looking at the photos he took. "This is a good one," he said before showing me a picture of me. The sun's rays were hitting my face just right, giving it a soft, warm glow. I looked relaxed.

No.

Content.

I looked content. Peaceful, even.

I didn't realize I was reaching for the camera until Prompto handed it to me. I was enthralled with the photo. It had been so long since someone took my picture that I almost forgot what it felt like to see myself from someone else's perspective.

"This is amazing," I said. Prompto laughed a little and reached for his camera again. I peeled my eyes away from the photo and handed the camera back to him.

"If you want, I can give you a print of this."

"Oh, no," I said as I waved a hand in front of me. "You don't have to go through the trouble. It's just nice to see myself from a different perspective again."

Prompto's head cocked to the side a little. "When was the last time you had a picture taken?"

I looked back towards the horizon as I placed a finger on my chin. "Since before the Fall of Insomnia, I think…"

"But you've had so many interviews since the darkness fell. Surely someone got your picture at one point."

I stood up and took a few steps forward, stretching my back. "Nope. I didn't even want to do those interviews. The whole time during the darkness, I never did anything that I would have thought would bring me this popularity. I never wanted it. I just wanted to be a hunter. To make a difference and help people feel safe, you know?"

I turned back towards Prompto, who nodded as he stood and joined me. "Well, if you ever want someone to take your pic, just hit me up," he said as he waved his camera a little. "Now that Eos is safe, I'll be able to devote more time to my photography. Having a new model would be nice to get me going again."

I rolled my eyes at him as I laughed a little. "What makes you think I'd be your model?"

Prompto shrugged. "You are a natural. Plus, the camera loves you! Possibly more than Noct, and the camera LOVED him."

I gave him a side eye as my right eyebrow arched up. This I had to see. "Care to explain?"

Somehow, he managed to smile even bigger than he already was as he started looking through his photos, trying to find the best photos of the king. He showed me his camera and I could not help but laugh a little at the photos. Noctis looked so at peace and enjoying his time with his friends, most likely knowing that in the end, he would have this only one night like this. Prompto was right. The camera did love him.

After a few minutes looking through Prompto's photos, and continually denying to be his model, the door to HQ opened and I heard a whistle followed by Prompto's name. I could tell it was Gladio before even turning around.

"Cor wants to see ya," Gladio called out. Prompto nodded before telling him that he'd be there in a second. He turned toward me and smiled before bowing a little. "I hope that one day you'll change your mind."

"Not likely," I scoffed. Even before the Fall of Insomnia, I hated people taking my picture. No one ever took a single photo of me that I didn't find at least one thing wrong with it. The only times I took pictures were in group photos or I was caught in a candid. I never did photo shoots. Never found the appeal in them. Probably won't ever.

As Prompto was walking away, Gladio called out my name as well. I turned and saw him beckoning me to follow. "Cor wants to see you as well."

What would the Marshall want with me? I made my way towards an equally confused Prompto and Gladio and followed them inside.

* * *

I saw across from Dave, Prompto sat on my right with Cor sitting in front of him. Dave had a reassuring look on his face once he saw how confused I was when entering the room. Prompto cleared his throat and asked the question that was on both our minds.

"So, what do you need from us Cor?"

Cor leaned forward and looked intently at both of us. I felt a little nervous sitting under his intense eyes. This was my first time actually meeting The Immortal and boy, was he intimidating. I silently tried to clear the lump that was forming in my throat as Cor spoke.

"As you two are well aware, it's safe for citizens to travel again. Meaning, we need to have areas cleared of any lurking monsters. There are a few places that are going to prove more of a challenge to clear." Core directed his gaze to Prompto as he continued. "Now that the three of you are back, we can start getting those areas cleared. I have already assigned Ignis and Gladio to clear out a few trouble spots, leaving me with assigning you to your own mission."

Prompto nodded his head.

"I'm sending you to clear out Galdin Quay and the surrounding areas. We're going to need port access soon to help the citizens of Niflheim get back home."

Cor's gaze landed on me as Dave spoke. "We're sending you with him, Annalynne."

* * *

 **This could have continued going, but I decided to end the chapter here! Better on a cliffhanger, right? Annalynne having to team up with Prompto for a mission? How is she gonna react?**

 **And I do hope that her scene with Prompto didn't feel too weird, or forced. She's not friends with them yet and this is only their second time actually meeting. Annalynne is going to be a bit closed off, though not as much since she already knows that Prompto knows about her. It's going to be quite the journey to get Anna to open up to Prompto and vice versa. That journey begins next chapter! It's going to be awkward between them for a while, but that's going to be the fun part!**

 **Until next time! (^o^)v**


	4. Chapter 4: The Mission

**Chapter 4: The Mission**

I looked at Dave, my eyes growing wide. "You're _teaming me up_ with someone?" I looked at Prompto, who was also surprised before I turned back to Dave. "No. I'm sorry, but I work better alone."

"This is not up for debate," I heard Cor say. My attention turned towards him as I began to try and argue. He interrupted me before I was even able to say anything, simply by putting his hand up and spoke. "This is not a one-man job. No matter what Prompto's skill level is, he cannot do this alone. We need someone with the same skill set as him to complete this assignment. You, Annalynne, are the only hunter that even comes close. We need you for this, and I'm sure you'd like being out there hunting rather than stuck on moving duty for the foreseeable future."

I looked at Dave before heaving a sigh. "How long is the job?"

"Two weeks, minimum," Dave said.

I have nothing against the blond man sitting next to me, but spending AT LEAST two weeks with him on this mission? I've never partnered with someone for more than a day, and that was literal hell on earth. Though, that job was easy money...

"Anna," Dave said, pulling me from my thoughts, "remember what I told you when I took you out on your first training mission?"

I nodded. "Sacrifices sometimes must be made for the sake of the better good."

"You're going to have to sacrifice your 'Lone Ranger' way of life for a few weeks. It's the only way we can make sure this mission is a success. We need the two best marksmen in the hunters to be on this mission. Those two are you and Prompto."

I looked at Prompto before my gaze traveled to Cor before settling back on Dave. I absolutely hated this but Dave was right. If it's for the better good, I'll _try_ and work with Prompto.

"Fine." I turned to Prompto, his blue eyes glittering with excitement. I poked him in the chest with my right index finger. "But, this is the only time I will be teaming up with you."

Prompto nodded. "Wouldn't expect anything else."

"Now then," Dave spoke up, "there is a matter with how you two will get there. All vehicles are currently being used to help with the moving efforts..."

"That won't be a problem," I said. "I still have my motorcycle. It should fit the both of us on it. Though…" I looked over at Prompto and noticed that there was a slight dusting of pink across his cheeks. Guess he realized what riding on a motorcycle would mean. A small smirk landed on my face as I continued. "I don't have a second helmet."

"O..oh. That's ok. I, uh… I can get one," he stuttered out. Seeing such a reaction from him was quite cute.

"That's settled then," Cor said. "We need you two to be at Galdin Quay in two days. Keep in contact while out there and report when we can start moving boats over there. Best of luck to you both."

* * *

 _ **Prompto**_

I still can't believe the luck I have right now. Sitting across from me is the one hunter that I could ever be intimidated by with just her reputation alone is now my partner for the next two weeks. Her finger is lightly tracing the rim of her wine glass as she stares into the red liquid, her head resting in her other hand. If I hadn't been looking at her at that moment I would have missed the sigh that escaped from her breath. Yep. She definitely was not looking forward to this. At all.

"So..." I said, hoping to break the uncomfortable silence that's been hanging around us since I asked her to join me for a few drinks after the meeting. Her silver eyes lifted from her glass to meet mine and I swear I could see my reflection as clearly as I could from the lens of my camera. I cleared my throat and hoped that some conversation topic will come to me. "When did you decide to become a hunter?"

Annalynne was quite for a moment. I started to get the feeling that maybe she didn't want to talk at all and that trying to get to know her would just be pointless because she wouldn't want to see me again after our mission was over.

"I was 16," Annalynne started. "Bored and had nothing to do after the darkness fell. My uncle Dino went off to do gods know what, leaving me by myself. I ran into Dave one day and he just knew that I was looking for something. So Dave offered me a job as a hunter and he started training me."

"That young?"

She nodded. "Though I'm surprised that not more of my classmates from Insomnia didn't join up. There were some guys that would have been great hunters."

"What school did you go to?"

Annalynne raised an eyebrow at me. "Why are you asking so many questions?"

I shrugged as I cleared my throat. "We are going to be the only company either of us will have for a few weeks. Might as well get to know a little bit about each other, right?"

Her eyes just bore straight into me. This must be the infamous glare that Dave told me about. I immediately felt nervous.

"Look, Prompto…" Annalynne looked back into her glass for a moment before looking back up at me. "I understand what you're trying to do but there's a reason I don't work with others. There's a reason I'm by myself so often."

There was a brief moment where I could swear I saw a hint of heartbreak in her eyes. I don't know what it was, but something in that look made me reach out and place my hand on top of her's that was now lying on the table. She looked at our hands but didn't make a move to move hers out from under mine right away. I took that moment to say what was on my mind.

"You may not believe me, but I understand what it's like to be alone. It's not fun. The feeling that no one will care about you if you ever disappear or just stopped existing. It wasn't until I saved Lady Lunafreya's dog, Pryna, and got a letter from her that I decided to turn my life around. She asked me to befriend Noct and stay by his side. He had also chosen to be alone while at school. If it wasn't for that small push, I wouldn't be where I am today."

At some point while I was talking, Annalynne moved her hand out from under mine, but she was leaning forward a bit more. "So, I take it you're gonna try and be that little push for me to get me to open up?"

"If you ever need it."

She smirked at me as she leaned back into her chair. "We'll just have to see, won't we."

I nodded slightly.

"If you really want to actually be my friend, you're gonna have to prove that it's not because of who I am as a hunter. I've had enough of those fakes trying to 'get to know me' over the years."

I stroked my chin for a minute before coming up with a plan. "How 'bout this. For every question I ask you, you can ask me one too. Nothing off limits. You decide how personal you want to get and if there's anything you don't want to answer, just tell me."

Annalynne leaned closer and I swear her smirk grew bigger. "So I can ask you anything I want. Nothing off limits?"

I nodded, now a little unsure about it. "Nothing off limits." I'm sure my voice cracked on me, but Annalynne didn't notice as she took a sip of her wine. "You go first."

She nodded. "Alright, and I'll start off easy."

* * *

 **There's so much that I wanted to put in here, but this chapter was starting to get a little long, so I'm splitting it into two parts. Next chapter Prompto and Annalynne will start on their way to Galdin Quay! I might write out their "20 Q" session in a one shot, but for now all I can say is that they didn't get TO personal that night. Though Annalynne did try at one point. This will be a thing with them throughout the series, so there will be more moments where they'll actually answer questions within the chapter.**

 **Until next time! (^o^)v**


	5. Chapter 5: The Mission Part 2

**Chapter 5: The Mission Part 2**

 _ **Annalynne**_

A few hours and a handful of drinks in our systems later, we managed to make it back to the hunter's HQ where our "apartments" were. (It's more like a dorm rather than an apartment. The rooms are nothing special, but it's enough and getting to sleep on a full size bed rather than that cramped twin bed in the campers is something I look forward to every time I come back.)

Prompto almost didn't make it back. I guess with everything that has been going on he had a few too many. It was almost comical how cuddly he wanted to be.

Almost.

But I managed to get him back to the apartment building and was about to take him to his room when I ran into Gladio. There was a glint of humor in his eyes as he took in the sight before him.

Prompto was leaning against me while I was doing my best to support him as I had his right arm draped across my shoulders and my left arm around his waist. He slipped in and out of consciousness during the walk here and was slowly regaining himself.

"This one givin' ya trouble, kid?" Gladio asked.

"Nah," I replied. "Honestly, I've been around worse drunk hunters. A few have woken up with black eyes from me."

He chuckled at that before offering to take Prompto off my hands. I happily handed the blond over and watched Gladio effortlessly pick Prompto up and sling the poor drunk over his shoulder like he was a sack of potatoes. Gladio gave me a quick nod before walking down the hallway towards Prompto's room.

I made my way to my own room and entered as quickly as I could. Dragging a drunk man home combined with the alcohol that was still in my system was making me sleepy real fast. The sweet scent of vanilla hit my nose the moment I walked in. It was a comforting smell. Just like home before the Fall. I didn't take the time to change, just simply managed to get the chest trap called a bra off, kicked my shoes to Eos knows where and fell into bed.

* * *

 _ **Prompto**_

The alarm on my phone was louder than it needed to be. Either that or there was another reason for the pounding in my head. My hand lazily made its way to my phone and after a few attempts I managed to turn the damn thing off.

I turned to lay on my stomach for a moment, burying my head into my pillow before slowly rising. After the meeting with Cor and Dave, I immediately asked Annalynne to drinks so I had nothing packed for our mission. She was probably in the same boat.

I took a bit longer in the shower than was needed, but the hot water did feel nice for a change. An hour after I woke up, I finished packing and made my way to the front of the building. Luckily the apartments the Hunter's gave us were in the same building as HQ.

The first floor of the building is dedicated as the operations point of the Hunter's Society and floors two through ten were all for hunters to sleep. Ignis said that this place use to be a dormitory for the EXINERIS plant workers in the early years but was left empty for years when the plant grew and more workers needed to be hired. Once darkness fell and more people became hunters, they took over the old building.

I made my way outside and saw Annalynne leaning against the building with one leg propped against it. She was wearing sunglasses, her hair pulled into a high ponytail, and had a can in her hand. It took me a second to recognize the coloring, but from how much Iggy loved to drink that stuff I knew it was Ebony.

"Mornin'!" I waved at Annalynne. I couldn't tell what her expression was behind those sunglasses, but she obviously wasn't that much of a morning person.

She dipped her head as far as it would go back and downed what was left of the drink and without looking tossed the can to the side and made it into the trash can a few feet away.

Who on Eos was this woman?!

"You sure took your time getting out here," was the only thing she said before turning to walk towwards the street

Definitely not a morning person.

I was about to follow after her when the doors to HQ opened.

"Yo!"

I turned around and saw Gladio and Ignis standing at the entrance. Gladio had a gigantic grin on his face while Ignis was stoic as usual.

"Didn't think you could leave without sayin' goodbye this time, did ya?" Gladio asked.

"It's only two weeks, Gladio," I said.

"A lot can change in two weeks, Prompto," Ignis said. "Besides, now that the light has returned Eos only knows what is lurking out there. Especially at night."

"At least he'll be in the company of a beautiful woman," Gladio says as he nudges my shoulder.

"I may be beautiful, but I'm also quite deadly," Annalynne said as she appeared right next to me. Guess it didn't take long for the Ebony to kick in.

"Almost feel sorry for ya, Annalynne," Gladio said. "You gotta deal with this one over here. I'll gladly trade with you."

Annalynne shook her head at that. "Nah. I'll be fine. Plus, Prompto's not _too_ bad to be around." She looked at me and I swear I saw her wink at me as she said that. I couldn't help but blush a little before clearing my throat.

"Well, look at the time! Guess we better be off if we're gonna make it to Galdin Quay."

"Be safe out there," Ignis spoke up. "And Prompto, do be on your best behavior. You are with a lady after all."

I could hear Annalynne laugh under her breath. "Ignis, you flatter me but I can assure you I am not a lady. I'm a hunter. If Prompto tries anything, well… let's just say things won't be so pretty." And with that Annalynne walked off. I said my goodbyes and quickly followed after her.

"Sorry 'bout that," I said as I caught up to her.

"Don't be," she said. "At least you still have your friends from before shit went down."

A few moments passed and she stopped in front of a motorcycle. Suddenly I felt nauseous and my stomach started making knots into knots. I just chalked it up to the hangover I was probably experiencing and left it at that. Annalynne opened up the storage compartment at the end of her bike and walked to the handlebars where a black helmet was hanging. I quickly stuffed my bag into the compartment and closed it, making sure to keep my own helmet out.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Annalynne got on the bike and I followed suit. She yelled over the engine as she revved it up.

"Hang on tight!"

What she said just hit me as she started pulling away. I quickly placed my hands on either side of her hips as we speed down the street towards the tunnel. After a few moments, I felt one of her hands pull my left hand forward, making me lean into her back.

"I said hang on tight! Don't be so modest or else you'll go flyin'!"

I wrapped my arms around her waist at her insistence as we exit the tunnel. The sun blinded me for a moment, which made me lean into her back even more. I could feel her back vibrate with silent laughter and I knew she felt my grip tighten for a split second. If I jumped off this bike, I just hope Eos would grant mercy on me and swallow me whole.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally got this chapter finished! I started on right after the last one published but as always I overbook myself and had no time to write. Thankfully I knew where I wanted this chapter to go, but after a month and a half it just WOULD NOT COME! But it finally did! (Yay!) Hopefully the next update won't take as long to come out.**

 **I do have a MAJOR announcement! You can read the full one on my Tumblr ( crazydcchick), but I'll just say what it's about. I'm starting my own Patr(e)on! Full details can be found here: crazydcchick. tumblr post /171203423341 /starving-writer-please-help**

 **Thanks guys! Until next update! (^o^)v**


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